It’s always wonderful to engage with people interested in my work.

If you don’t see your question here, please reach out and inquire though email.

What is Encaustic?

Encaustic is an ancient medium that consists of beeswax, oil pigments and damar tree resin. All three ingredients are heated and melted together when I’m working. Yes, the wonderful aroma of beeswax fills the air in my studio! The fact that this medium has roots back to the Ancient Greek civilization resonates with me and fills me with wonder and awe. When that civilization ended, shortly thereafter the encaustic medium also disappears. It isn’t until the 1960’s that is is resurrected as an art form by Contemporary artists. I will always be grateful to them as they created a gateway for me to later join the current art scene where artists explore and push the boundaries of this versatile medium. “Encaustic Art in the Twenty First Century” is a gorgeous book that features 79 of us from North America and demonstrates the diversity of what artists are creating with this medium today. I was beyond delighted to be one of the three Canadian artists featured in this publication. 

https://www.amazon.ca/Encaustic-Twenty-First-Century-Ashley-Rooney/dp/0764350234

What is your process?

When I discovered the encaustic medium I felt like I’d come home! I love the overall process and I see it as a metaphor for life itself. A painting evolves through the accumulation of countless layers of the hot, melted, encaustic medium. I think of how this cumulative process of layering and fusing layers resembles the collection of life experiences. Each layer presents options, possibilities and choices. As I build and fuse each new layer of colour with a heat gun or propane torch it adheres to the previous layers thus altering the work in progress.  As the layers evolve a unique, one-of-a-kind creation emerges. I favour jewel tones of colour. I think they’re fitting to represent the richness of life and viewers often tell me that they experience them as uplifting. I love how they mix and intermingle as they are layered. Subtle new colours emerge and present themselves like magic in the fusing process. I intuitively decide how much heat to apply, where I want the colours to bleed and blend, and where and when do I want it to remain as it is. I also selectively choose where I want the colours to remain translucent like portals that reveal previous layers and where I want it to be more opaque, covering and burying the past. This process and these colours are how I envision and express my sense of ethereal and mystical dimensions. 

Once I’ve acquired enough depth I begin to embed symbolic found materials as well as my pen and ink drawings between the layers. I think of them as precious and coveted treasures to be shared, discovered and interpreted by the viewer. Some of my favourites include keys symbolizing what we may need to be more open to in life. Threads represent a continuum of what we carry forward. Spirals and circles are universal spiritual motifs; watch parts portray timelessness, feathers represent the divine and fossils typify ancient beginnings. Seeds are my metaphor for fertility, holding life, migration, anticipation and manifestation. My intention is to engage and invoke questions and reflections by the viewer as they recognize and interpret meaning or associations for themselves. Then my process continues with the development of rich organic textures. I strive to replicate and honour the beauty I find in the natural world like the bark on a tree or the pattern left in stone after centuries of elemental erosion. These natural visual rhythms fill me with a sense of awe, wonder and serenity. I feel grounded in them and connected to Mother Earth. Hopefully my attempts to present similar undulating patterns that echo nature create a calming visual experience. I bring the work to completion when I apply and adhere gold and copper leaf to parts of the painting. My intent is to bring a spiritual component to the piece. Gold has long represented the presence of the divine throughout centuries of art. My goal is to manifest a visual dance of ethereal and luminescent passages of light throughout the painting. As the light changes and shifts throughout a day the experience of how the gold shines or shimmers, reflects or radiates light is ever changing. Hopefully this keeps the engagement and experience with the work enticing and continuously evolving for you as the audience. 

It is my hope that the imagery is universal and that my work will touch you on a mystical, ethereal and spiritual level. I believe that this is the ultimate level of connection with one another and the world. 

What is a Limited Edition Print?

Limited edition prints are a wonderful way to create an art collection. My limited edition prints are produced in small quantities. The original art work is professionally photographed and then reproduced with pigment inks. The image is printed on a high quality, acid free, cotton rag paper made in the USA. (300 gm/meter squared) Each print is inspected, approved and signed, titled and numbered by me. The number on the print will be like a fraction. An example might be 3/125. The first number indicates that this is the 3rd print out of this edition of 125. The second number indicates the limit the artist has set for this particular edition. Each print is accompanied with a certificate of authenticity. They are gently rolled and shipped in a sturdy tube. Framing can be done to suit your taste and decor. 

How do I care for an Encaustic & Mixed Media Painting?

Encaustic is a resilient medium. There are paintings from the Ancient Greek civilization that still exist today. (See Fayum Portraits) There are a few things to consider in your environment. First, any original art work shouldn’t be hung in direct sunlight. Secondly, cleaning the work can be done by gently buffing or wiping the piece with a soft lint free cloth. People often inquire if the work will melt. Beeswax candles remain solid in your indoor spaces. The damar resin that is added to the beeswax increases the melting point beyond just bees wax. Thus I always say that unless your home temperature is over 100F degrees or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, your precious encaustic art work is safe. Finally, I do remind people with a written attachment to keep these temperatures in mind if you were ever moving and the your art collection was going to be left on a truck in blazing heat or frigid cold. You wouldn’t leave your child or pet in that environment so just add your encaustic originals to the list of things you love and protect. 

How long does it take you to finish a painting?

I work very intuitively so there is no real formula for time. Each piece is created from countless numbers of fused layers. I also lose all track of time when I am working as I enter a zen like flow as the work evolves. It’s a birthing process that takes as long as it takes until I just know that it is complete. Often it’s several days, the larger works  evolve for several  weeks.

May I visit the studio/gallery?

It is always a pleasure to share my studio/gallery space with guests. Please email, text or call to book an appointment in advance. Please direct inquires to kimmcc@rogers.com or text 647-456-7002.

Currently, I have masks, gloves and hand sanitizer at my entrance for you to keep us all safe as we connect in my space. 

Do you offer Wholesale?

I currently work with several businesses. 

I’m always open to new opportunities to share in, please email me at kimmcc@rogers.com and we can explore the possibilities.